Switch for electric circuits.



Patented Oct. 29, mm.

H. P. DAVIS.

SWITCH FUR ELECTRIC CIRCUITS.

(Application filed Nov. 9. 1900.)

(No Model.)

IN VE N TOR WITNESSES J A TTURNEY.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIcE.

HARRY P. DAVIS, OF PITTSI URC, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE \VEST-INGHOUSE ELECTRIC & IANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OFPENNSYLVANIA.

SWITCH FOR ELECTRIC CIRCUITS.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters I'atent NO. 685,507, dated October2 1901 Application filed November 9, 1900. Serial No. 35,996. (Nomodel.)

To aZZ whom, it may concern/.- by the currentcarrying capacity desired.

Be it known that I, HARRY P. DAVIS, a citi- The jaws or sets of jaws 6and the plate 5 zen of the United States, residing in Pittsare severallymounted upon pillars 8, of porburg, in the county of Allegheny and Statecelain or other suitable non-conducting ma- 5 of Pennsylvania, haveinvented a new and terial, which are bolted to the slab 1, and eachuseful Improvement in Switches for Electric is provided with a tubularextension 0, that Circuits, of which the following is a specitlprojectsrearwardly through the base plate cation. or slab 1 a suitable distanceto provide the My invention relates to electric apparatus, desiredinsulation. for the rod that projects 10 and more particularly todevices employed through it and the body portion 8. The

for making and breaking electrical circuits. blades 7 are pivotallymounted at their inner The object of my invention is to provide a endsbetween plates 10, projecting laterally switch which shall be adaptedfor use in confrom the plate 5 at its ends, the plates 10 benection withthe generation and distribution ing of such length as to permit ofmounting 15 of electrical energy and one that at the same the blades ata sufficient distance from the time shall be more simple, inexpensive,and plate 5 to make feasible the turning of the compact in constructionthan the devices of blades through an angle of approximately thisgeneral character heretofore employed. one hundred and eighty degrees,so as to With these ends in view I have devised the bring them when thecircuit is open into po- 20 form of switch shown in the accompanyingsitions parallel with each other and directly drawings, of whichover theplate 5. The latter plate is also pro- Figure 1 is a view, partially inside elevavided at each end with jaws 11, located in tion and partiallyin section, of the switch; alinement with a blade '7, pivoted at theother and Fig. 2is a front elevation of the same. end of said plate, sothat when the switch is 25 The switch is designed for and intended toopened the free end of the blade will rest in be usedin connection withswitchboard-work and beheld in position by the jaw 11. The and thenon-conducting base plate or slab 1, plates that form the jaws 11 may ofcourse on which the switch is mounted, will in genbe of such length thatthe path of movement eral be a switchboard panel. Projecting of theblades 7 is considerably less than one 30 through this base plate orslab 1 are the hundred and eighty degrees; but symmetry switch-terminalstuds2, 3, and 4, upon which of structure and economy of space willgenbus-bars (not shown) may be mounted. The erally render a throw ofapproximately one rod 3 is connected at its front end to a plate hundredand eighty degrees both feasible and or block 5, here shown as ofconducting matedesirable. The switch-blades 7 are unpro- 35 rial; but,if desired, it might be made of nonvided with handles, but may be openedand conducting material and provided with suitclosed by means ofsuitable implements emable conducting Wires or strips for completingployed for that purpose, and when the switch the electric circuits. Eachof the rods 2 and is open the blades will extend over the plate 4 isfastened at its front end to switch-jaws 5 and will be securely held inthat position,

40 6, which may be of any well-known or suitthe relation between theplate 5 and the blade able construction and are here shown as 7 beingmuch like that existing between the adapted for the reception of theouter ends handle and blades of a pocket-knife. of two blades 7, whichare fastened together Where the number and. arrangement of so as to bemoved in unison and act as a sinbus-bars and switches make it desirableto pro- 5 gle blade so far as mechanical operation is vide electricalconnections between switches concerned. It will be understood that asinat the front of the board, the rearwardly-progle blade 7 or more thantwo of such blades jecting terminal studs maybe omitted at such may beemployed in lieu of the two shown, points, as will be readilyunderstood. the number of such blades being determined I desire it to beunderstood that the invention is not limited to a switch having thenumber of blades shown in the drawings or to the employment of pillarsfor supporting the switch members, since these devices may be omittedwhere the energy is of sufliciently low potential to permit of mountingthe switch members directly on the slab.

The form of switch constituting my present invention is such that itoccupies a minimum amount of space on. a switchboard-panel and insures amaximum degree of separation of cooperating contact-terminals and acompact and safe disposition of the blades when in open-circuitposition.

It will be further understood that my invention may be embodied insingle pole switches and that it may be otherwise modified within thescope of the claimsfit desired.

I claim as my invention- 1. A switch for electric circuits comprising abase-plate, a middle terminal post having a conducting block or plate,and two terminal posts provided with contact-jaws at opposite sides ofthe middle post and laterally offset with reference to said middle postand each other, in combination with switch-blades pivotally supported attheir inner ends on the middle post, block or plate, the latter beingprovided with clips or jaws to receive the free ends of the blades whenthrown to open-circuit position.

2. In a switch for electric circuits, the combination with a block orplate having jaws at its opposite ends, of blades, the length of whichis approximately the same as that of the block or plate, pivotallymounted in said jaws in staggered relation so as to be thrown intoengagement with the alined jaws for open-circuit conditions, andterminal posts having jaws with which the free ends of the blades engagein closed position.

In a switch for electric circuits, a conducting block or plate havingjaws at its opposite ends and terminal posts having jaws in alinementwith corresponding jaws on the block or plate but out of alinement witheach other, in combination with blades pivotally mounted at their innerends in jaws on the block or plate so that their outer ends may bethrown to engage alined jaws on either the terminal posts or the blockor plate.

I. A switch for electric circuits, comprising a block or plate, bladeshinged to opposite ends of said block or plate out of alinement so as.to be swung into side-by-side position on the block or plate, means forholding the blades in the side-by-side position and stationarycontact-terminals in alinement with the blades.

5. A switch for electric circuits comprising a conducting-plate,terminal jaws oppositely disposed with reference to said plate and outof alinement and blades hinged at their inner ends to the opposite endsof the plate so that they may either bridge the spaces between the plateand the terminal jaws or occupy a side-by-side relation on the plate.

6. Aswitch for electric circuits comprising two blades pivotallysupported a distance apart approximately equal to their individuallength so as to be moved in parallel planes through an angle ofapproximately one hundred and eighty degrees and stationarycontact-terminals respectivelyin alinement with said blades.

7. A switch for electric circuits comprising a plurality of blades, anda support to the opposite ends of which the blades are pivoted inalternation so as to be capable of movement in parallel planes throughan angle of approxi mately one hundred and eighty degrees and stationarycontact-terminals respectively in alinement with said blades.

8. A switch for electric circuits comprising a plurality of blades, asupport to the opposite ends of which the blades are independentlypivoted out of alinement and terminal jaws respectively arranged inalinement with the blades that are pivoted to the corresponding ends ofthe support.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name this 5t-h day ofNovember, 1900.

HARRY P. DAVIS. Witnesses:

WEsLEY G. CARR, BIRNEY IIINns.

